We last met up in May for an enjoyable lunch at Frangipani, and Aja decided to initiate another get-together for this unlikely trio of friends – a restaurateur, a femme fatale and a dumpy accountant. Thankfully, there is no prerequisite for friendships formed for the love of good food other than, yes, a love of good food, so even if we appeared to be a motley group of people assembling that day at High Tide, it made complete sense for us to get together. I arrived first and was greeted by the manager, Carole Pinel, with a combination of friendliness and restrained enthusiasm. As it turned out, we were the only guests there that Saturday afternoon, and it felt like it was our private space to act silly and make faces at the fish. The restaurant is wonderful in the day with lots of sunlight filtering in through the lush green plants fringing the sides. I know those living in colder climates have a love affair with the sun, and I really have no reason to have that much affection for it when all I do is sweat in the tropical heat, but the best feeling in the world is to sit in an airconditioned environment with wide glass windows that allow the sun to warm the body and the spirit. It feels even better when there is a glass of prosecco within reach.
An eight metre tropical fish tank sits in the centre of the restaurant, separating the smoking from the non-smoking section. Walls are painted in nude and neutral shades with murals inspired by the French Riviera.
I had heard so much about High Tide from my friends. It’s expensive, one had exclaimed. It isn’t as good as when it first started operations, another had said. Armed with a heavy purse and mixed feelings, as I stepped into High Tide, I made the wise decision of ridding my mind of all the comments because at the end of the day, no one can, or should, tell you whether or not your experience ought to be a good one.
Butternut squash amuse bouche
Marinated, grilled Canadian scallops with cauliflower puree and zucchini flower
Dutch smoked eel with anchovy cream, tomato and olive tapenade
Summer salad with smoked halibut and wasabi mayonnaise
Alaskan king crab cocktail with avocado and tomato
Our bill came up to RM6 short of a thousand Ringgit, but I can tell you this – High Tide is like a breath of fresh air on our Malaysian dining scene and is worth every cent paid. Service is professional and wait staff are knowledgeable; noticing its exquisite sweetness, we asked what kind of tomatoes the chef had used in the salad, and the waiter was quick to let us know that the Chef had used buffalo tomatoes. Chef Evert Onderbeke used unusual ingredients like sea aster and salsify (stuff that a more seasoned world traveller will have come across), and his biggest boast is that only fresh, seasonal and sustainable produce is used. It was our first time eating fresh Dutch smoked eel, its flavour unmasked by any powerful sauces. It had a lovely silky texture, and was served with anchovy cream to bring out its flavour. The Canadian scallops were perfectly grilled and still wobbly; the cauliflower puree a surprising burst of intense flavour despite its rather plain appearance. And if only all summer salads could taste like the one at High Tide! It was a striking tower of mixed vegetables paired with generous cuts of smoked halibut and tossed in wasabi mayonnaise. The Alaskan king crab starter sported a generous amount of crab and yes, it was prepared with buffalo tomatoes.
Main courses
Grilled turbot with pan fried asparagus, sea aster and salsify puree
Oven baked sea bream under vegetable crust with leek confit, lemon beurre blanc and butternut squash puree
Pan fried fillet of lemon sole with mixed vegetables and mustard mousseline
Keeping to our theme of ordering only seafood (despite protests from a certain individual), we ordered the Turbot, Sea Bream and Lemon Sole. The turbot was the most expensive of the lot at RM118, but I loved it the most for its firm and sweet flesh. The sea aster leaves lent the dish a natural saltiness, and I particularly liked it because it didn’t have any bitterness to it. The sea bream was more tender than the turbot but highly succulent, and the chef seemed to have capitalised on its texture and flavour by baking it under a crisp vegetable crust. The lemon sole was my least favourite of the lot as I thought its preparation with mixed vegetables and mustard mousseline was on the safe side compared to the other dishes which I had tried.
Mango “soup”
Blackberry cannelloni
Pear almond tart
Petit fours
Since I had gladly taken on the role of DBKL for the mains, I grazed my way slowly through desserts. I can barely remember them now, I’m afraid; the starters and the mains were overwhelming enough. I do remember the petit fours, though, one of which was a chocolate lollipop which, when bitten into, exploded into a river of warm caramel.
My day is done, and I am like a boat drawn on the beach, listening to the dance-music of the tide in the evening. *
High Tide
Ground Floor, Menara Taipan
Jalan Punchak (Off Jalan P. Ramlee), KL.
Tel: 03-2072 4452
Also check out:
Eat Drink KL
Careless Little Hamster
Masak-Masak
Fried Chillies
* from Rabindranath Tagore’s Stray Birds
Aiyo, so shameless! Dare to call yourself a femme fatale! And can label someone else as dumpy in the same sentence. Heheh 😀
I absolutely love these photos of the fish in the aquarium! They look like they’re suspended magically in mid-air! And their expressions … half-mystified, half-melancholy 😛
my next visit !!
wow, with more and more fine dining places popping up around kl, we kl folks are getting spoilt for choices.. the food sure looks good… 😀
The food looks too pretty to eat! And the place looks soooo classy. Will have to visit sometime soon. 🙂
My heart stopped for a while when you mentioned the bill. 0_o
That said, the sea bream looks uber yummy! 😉
gosh the pictures on a level of its own! looks lovely..how i dearly wish i b soon earning aud dollars and coming back here to dine..oh so nice…
Their MIGF menu this year look good as well T^T
Cool shot! Love how the colourful fishies look like they are casually floating around in the air….. 🙂
Wah …. a full seafood feast for RM994?! Definitely once in a blue moon type of meal ….
The post somehow cocoons me this luxurious illusion of being stranded on an all-purpose yacht in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea. Not snapping out of it, not snapping out of it…
Sean: And can you believe that I called someone a restaurateur??! hehe.
Ya, I love those pics of the fish too. If I had more time (and less food), i’d have gotten myself the perfect picture! Glad you like them, bunny boy! =)
May: Hope you’ll like it as much as I did!
TummyRumble: …and I’m not complaining! 😀 Our neighbours down south and up north have so many better options for fine dining. Time for us to catch up.
Baby Sumo: I agree with you. I spent a lot of time just worshiping the food!
Bangsar-bAbE: LOL. It was shared between 3 ppl, and there was a bottle of prosecco too. 🙂
lotsofcravings: Awww thanks! All photographed with natural sunlight. 🙂 Eh, you’ll soon be earning lots of AUD and throwing money around in Malaysia soon. Hang in there sweetie!
Fui: OMG I have yet to see the MIGF menu. Thx for the heads up!
J: Maybe they are? 😉 teehee!
J2Kfm: Divided by 3. Not so bad lar. There are other restaurants here that are more expensive. I can name at least 4.
minchow: Oh, trust me, you’ll definitely feel like that if you visit High Tide on a balmy weekend afternoon. I really really hope they’ll survive!
Wow.. you sure know how to enjoy your meal~ All the food is really gorgeous =]
wyyv: yes, I love to eat! 😀
I still have many Apple products waiting for me to buy you know…and then you tempt me with this! My wallet just bled reading this post. I’ll never be able to afford a meal here. Ever.
Pictures are so gorgeous lah. Can I be your apprentice ar?
A Lil Fat Monkey: Of course you’ll be able to afford a meal here. I forgot to mention that lunches at RM75 for 2 courses and RM95 for 3 courses won’t make a dent on your wallet!
I should be YOUR apprentice lah. You don’t need any help from me!
It was a gorgeous afternoon in terms of ambience, meal and company. We must do it again soon 🙂 but hard to find a place that will top High Tide now!
i LOVE the levitating fish.. were can i get one?! mwuahaahha.. gorgeous.. clap clap clap ..worth very penny of the 1000 ring dings! xoxoxoxo
Aja: It was the perfect day. Thanks for initiating this gathering. Please organise another one! 😀
feed the ciki: Please visit my online store! Only RM888.88. But for you, I gip you discount of 8%!
They sent me through e-mail~how lucky am I XD
The Menu:
http://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r200/nightwishfui/ZA.jpg
FMD!!! RM6 short of RM1k? (for 3 ppl, i presume? and for LUNCH?!!) sounds way beyond my league. i can only dream to eat in places like this.
sigh….the bill almost matches my pay…but the food i divine to look at..i can only imagine and perhaps smell it…
*echoes SsFBB*…
I’m sure this lunch was way better than my lunch at Frangi (another unlikely trio of the patissier, food connoisseur and dumpy homemaker). Terrible ain’t it, when all I could remember of the food at lunch was overcooked liver.. 😛 Company was lurvely thankfully. 😀
aiyer so nice la. I always love seafood.
I shall attempt to use my ikan kembong and “couture” it
kembong flambe assam pedas
i think i probably can sell that at RM 4.80 ea.
hehe
I think my favourite will be Alaskan king crab cocktail with avocado and tomato because got avocado nuff said lol.
almost fainted at your mention of the bill! drinks inclusive?? and this is lunch?!!
been readin ur blog for years..but i cant help saying this.lol.was speechless upon reading the price. rm6 short of 1 k…wow.reminds me of those alan ducasse/tom aiken dinings in london!eek!
There is a two course set-lunch for 75RM and three courses 95RM !! You don’t have to spend so much …… I ate at High Tide for the set lunch earlier in the month and it was exquisite… 🙂 My regular taste of heaven.
Fui: Thanks for the link to the menu! Looks great! I may wanna try. Will you be going too?
Shellshocked FBB: It’s not that expensive once you divide by 3 lah.
mystic_swastika: Go there for a special occasion. 🙂
gfad: I’m surprised you had a lousy meal at Frangi. All my meals there have been very good, and I rank it up there with some of the best restaurants in town.
chaokar: You are such a funny guy! I’m still waiting to have a meal at your place. 😛
Simon Seow: Yar, I got a weakness for avocados too! Yum!
Angie Lee: It’s really not that expensive. The prosecco was almost 200 bucks, so the meal, divided by 3 would be equivalent to Cilantro prices. 🙂
a happy frog: It was for 3 persons. 🙂 It would still be cheaper than Alan Ducasse. 😀
Tina L: Thanks for highlighting that! I’ve yet to try the set lunch, especially when the ala carte options are so much more tempting, but I shall take your recommendation and try it one day. 🙂
the price! O.O
hahaha wait till i really get a proper job, hehe!
It is pretty pricey considering that im not seeing much extroadinary hard to find ingredients on the tables. hehe.. 1K for lunch is eye bulging, and didnt you tell them in return they are getting priceless pictures from the Queen of DSLR? 😛
The first pic with the fish is absolutely stunning
Ya, surely will go as I’m a seafood lover~!
Ah, the joy of fish flying in a restaurant. Almost as good as bacon with wings. Wheee…
And on an unrelated note, your recommendation of Totto-chan was spot on. I loved it! Read it in Krabi instead of Poco Homemade, but it was amazing all the same. Thanks! *hug hug*
nice place to dine …like the fish pics u took
OMG, everything here looks absolutely incredible – and your photos are gorgeous. I HAVE to try this place next time I’m in KL.
Today henceforth we shall bestow upon the dumpy accountant a new fresh name. The sleek camera girl will be most appropriate & who knows may even become just the lovely girl
Oh my gosh! looking at your photography I feel like a novice 🙁
Getting such gorgeous shots in a restaurant environment is close to impossible for me! Love your space and will be coming back often 🙂
Thanks so much for visiting my blog and for your kind words. Looking forward to staying in touch with you and learning some photography from you!
Yum, everything looks delish! nice photos. Glad i bumed into this blog 🙂